Vibrator



w. T. SHALER 2,059,754

Nov. 3, 1936.

- VIBRATOR.

Filed Oct. 5, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 g Q r 1.3; 1 3? m A L 'Wmnwm Wm i S/Ia/er.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 12 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for producing vibratory motion suitable for vibrating or shaking other apparatus such as material handling screens, sieves, agitators, conveyors, etc.,

and relates particularly to devices of this class in which the vibratory movement is derived from It is an object of this invention to provide an improved device of this class which may be manufactured with economy and assembled conveniently; and which will have improved durability in use.

A further object is to provide a device of the class referred to which can be readily assembled from economically manufactured units, at the minimum of cost.

Another object is to provide a device of the class referred to which will have sufiicient rigid- 3 ity to maintain essential alignment of parts therein and which will be durable under the varied usage to which such devices are subjected. Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains. 35 My invention is fully disclosed in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an embodiment of my invention; 4Q Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken from the plane 2-2 of Fig. l;

. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the plane 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4. is a view similar to Fig.- 2 but illustrating a modification.

Referring to the drawings, I have illustrated generally at l, a housing member which in the particular embodiment illustrated is in the form of a tube having annular open opposite end portions 2 and 3. Intermediate of the end portions, a bracket 4 is rigidly secured to the housing member, or formed integrally therewith, and extends laterally therefrom and is provided with feet 5-5 provided with suitable perforations or slots therein whereby, by means of bolts 6-6, the

feet '5--5 may be rigidly secured to an apparatus to be vibrated, illustrated generally at I.

The opposite endportions 2 and 3 of the housing member are in the form of annular rings upon which at peripherally spaced points are pro- 5 vided bosses or lugs 38 having threaded holes 9-9 therein. Upon each end portion 2 and 3 is mounted a frame member In and II having at the periphery thereof an annular ring l2 provided with a plurality of spaced lugs l3 having bores l4. therein aligned with the threaded holes 9-9, and bolts I5-l5 are projected through the bores and threaded into the holes to rigidly mount the frame members l0 and II upon the ends of the tubular housing member I.

The two frame members I0 and II are preferably made identically alike. Each frame member comprises a central tubular portion l6 connected to the ring l2 by a frusto-conical, inwardly tapering, portion H. The tubular portion I6 is bored at l8 to receive the outer raceway IQ of a ball bearing and has a shoulder against which the raceway abuts axially. Spaced inwardly axially from the ball bearing 2| just described, is another ball bearing 22, the outer raceway 23 of which fits in a cylindrical bore 24 in the tubular portion l6 of the frame element. The raceway 23 is preferably free from axial abutment in either direction and therefore floats in the'bore 24. 30 A shaft 25 is provided having a shoulder 26 thereon against which the inner raceway 21 of the ball bearing M is clamped by a nut 28 threaded on the shaft. The outer raceway I9 is clamped against the shoulder 20 by an annular sleeve portion 29 of a bearing closure cap 30, the sleeve portion 29 fitting in the bore l8 and being held against the raceway l9 by a plurality of bolts 34 projected through perforations in a flange '32 of the cap 30 and screwed into the end of the tubular portion IS. The shaft 25 has a reduced portion 33, upon which the nut 28 is threaded, projected outwardly through the cap 30 and packing 34 disposed 'in a suitable groove in the cap element serves to seal the shaft against ingress of foreign matter and egress of lubrication which may be provided. within the housing. The end portion 33 of the shaft is provided with a keyway 35 by which a pulley or other means for supplying rotating power thereto may be secured to the shaft. The opposite end of the .shaft has thereon a gear 36 preferably formed integrally with the shaft 25 by being cut thereon. Inwardly of the gear 36, the shaft is press-fitted into a tubular shank 31 formed on a head 38 supporting at a suitable distance radially the shaft a sector-form weight 39, the weight 39, head 38 and shank 31 being preferably formed all in a single piece, for example as from a metal casting. The shank 31 is press-fitted into the inner raceway 40 of the ball bearing 22.

Preferably also, the shank 31 is keyed to the shaft 25 by a key 92 to insure that the shaft will not slip within the shank and that the rigidity of the press-fit connection'of the shank and shaft will be maintained.

By the construction above described, the shaft 25 is supported at spaced points therealong by the two ball bearings 2| and 22; and the shaft is prevented from endwise movement by having the inner raceway 21 of the ball bearing 2| rigidly secured to the shaft and by having the outer raceway "I9 rigidly secured to the frame l6. When the shaft 25 rotates in the operation of the device to be described, the weight39 being unbalanced about the shaft 25, exerts lateral thrust on the shaft 25 which is taken up by the relatively larger ball bearing 22; and the gear 36, weight 39 and shaft 25 all rotate in unison.

The above description is directed to the parts.

at the right-hand portion of Fig. 2 in connection with the frame member ID, said parts being assembled therewith as a unit in the production of the device. The frame member in the lefthand part of Fig. 2,'is assembled also at an assembly unit with a like set of parts which may be identical with the units just described except for the following exceptions. The shaft 25a outwardly of the ball bearing 2| terminates in-- wardly of the cap 30a, the cap 30a covering the end of the shaft 25a and being substantially the same as the cap 30 above described except that it is not perforated and does not have the seal of said cap.

The frame members It and H are disposed so as to offset the shafts 25 and 25a so as to intermesh the gears 36'36 of the two shafts respectively. To provide this offset relationship and at the same time to permit the frame members l and II to be identical, the opposite end portions 2 and 3 of the housing member I are offset relative to each other, as plainly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In order to insure proper meshing of the gears 3636, the end portions 2 and 3 of the housing member l are each provided with an annular shoulder 4| and the frame members I6 and II are provided with corresponding annular shoulders 42-42 formed 'to telescope with the shoul- This mutually intermeshing shoulder construction not only disposes the axes of the two frame members I0 and II in the proper offset or parallel spaced relation, but also positions the two frame members l6 and H the desired exact distance apart in the axial direction, so that the gears 36--36 are sure to properly mesh.

As will now be apparent, when power applied to the shaft end portion 33 rotates the same, to rotate the shaft 25, the shaft 25a will likewise be rotated at the same speed through the gears 3636 which preferably are of the same number of teeth, and the weights 3949 rotate in oppo-' from l6 and H provides, outwardly radially of the shaft, an enlarged annular chamber 43 in which the enlarged sector-form weight 39 may rotate, thus providing the maximum of space for the weight with the minimum of over-all length of the device.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, the mass of the rotating weights is divided into two parts, two weights rotating with each shaft to distribute the load of the unbalanced rotating weight on both bearings. In this form, a central generally tubular frame member 44 is provided which may be similar to or like the frame member of the first described form having annular shoulders 45 and 46 at the opposite annular open ends thereof. Frame members 41 and 48 are provided, preferably identical in structure, having double frusto-conical opposed web or disc portions 49-49 joined to axially spaced tubular central portionsrll and 5| and joined periphshoulders 45. and 46 of the main frame or housing 44 and having also, axially opposite, annular shoulders 54-54 formed to telescope with corresponding shoulders on cup-form cover elements 55 and 56.

The cover elements 55 and 56 have peripherally thereof a plurality of boredlugs 51-51 and the tubular housing element 44 has a corresponding plurality -of lugs 5858 peripherally thereof. Bolts 5959 are projected through the bores of the lugs 51 and through aligned bores 60 in the peripheral portions of the frame elements 5252 and threaded into the lugs 56 to clamp the frame elements 41 and 46 upon opposite ends of the tubular housing member 44 and at the same time to clamp the cover elements 55 and 56 on the frame elements.

shoulder 65 on the hub by a nut 66. The hub 64 in turn is clamped on a shaft 61 :between a nut 68 and a gear 69 on the shaft. The hub 64 is connected by an arm 16 to a sector-form weight 1| similarly to that illustrated in Fig. 3 for the first described form.

Axially spaced from the bearing 6| is another bearing 12, the inner raceway of which is clamped on a hub 13 between a shoulder 14 on the hub and a nut 15 threaded thereon. The outer raceway of the bearing 12 floats axially in a suitable bore 16 in the tubular portion 5|. The hub 13 is connected by an arm 11 with a sector-form weight 18.

By the bearing construction above described, it will be apparent that the bearing 6| is locked against axial movement in the tubular portion of the end frame 41 to position the shaft 61 and the gear 69 axially. Any inaccuracies are taken up by the floating condition of the bearing 12 at the bore 16. In this form as will also be apparent, the balanced weight is divided into two parts, 1| and 16, the thrust of each part on the shaft being absorbed by the bearings 6| and 12 respectively.

The hub 13 is retained on the shaft 61 by abutting at one end upon a shoulder 19 and at the other being clamped under a nut 86 on the shaft. outwardly beyond the nut the shaft has a keyway 8i for the purposes referred to above. The cover element 55 may have an annular packing 82 therein to seal the projecting end of the shaft, passing therethrough.

A gear 83 on a shaft 84 meshes, with the gear 69, the shaft 84 being parallel to the shaft 51, and having a pair of weights 85 and 8B rotatable with the shaft end bearings 81 and 88 in the end frame 48, the construction of these parts and the assembled relation thereof being preferably identical with that of the parts above described except that the shaft 84 terminates as at 89 inwardly of the cover element 56, being covered and enclosed thereby and the cover element 56 is therefore not provided with the packing 82 as is the cover element 55.

In this form it will be observed that the frustoconical shape of the end frame 41 provides annular chambers 90 and 9| in which the weights 'II and 18 revolve, the weights partly overlapping the frusto-conical portions 49 of the end.frame 41, axially considered. Thus, in this form as in the first described, the maximum of weight is provided, for the minimum of axial extent. In this form also, the annular shoulder arrangement above described in connection with the reference characters 45, 53 and 54 insures that the two end frames 41 and 48 will be disposed with their axes spaced apart and parallel to insure that the gears 69 and 83 will properly mesh with each other. In this form also, except for the two shafts 6] and 84, the end frame members 41 and 4B and the parts assembled therewith may be identical.

No means is shown to attach the form of Fig. 4 to an apparatus to be vibrated but it will be understood in connection with the more com-- plete description of the form of Figs. 1 and 2 that a bracket and feet such as provided at 4 and 5 for the form of Fig. 1 may likewise be provided for the form of Fig. 4.

In both of the forms described, it will be observed that the shaft and weights and intermeshing gears are supported rigidly from the opposite ends of the tubular housing and that no interior ribs, bearings or other supports joined to portions of the housing intermediate its ends are necessary to rigidly maintain the shaft in alignment and the gears in considerable engagement.

Also, in both forms it will be observed that there are no partitions or intermediate housing members in the main housing structure and therefore the entire device within its enclosing housing may be readily and thoroughly lubricated by the splash method, from a quantity of lubricant in the housing, which may be put in through a screw-plugged orifice at93 or drained out at a similar orifice at 94.

My invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described. Modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages and within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a vibratory motion producing device, of the type comprising a pair of rotatable shafts having mutually intermeshing gears and each supporting a weight at one side of the rotary axis of the shaft and the shaft adapted to be rotatably driven, a main frame, a pair of frame members detachably secured in spaced relation on the frame, each comprising assembled therewith and supported. solely thereby a pair of axially aligned bearings and one of the shafts rotatably supported-on each pair of bearings, the bearings disposing the gears to mutually intermesh, and means for securing the frame upon anapparatus to be vibrated.

2. In a vibratory motion producing device of the type comprising a pair of rotatable shafts having mutually intermeshing gears and each supporting a weight at one side of the rotary axis of the shaft and the shaft adapted to be rotatably driven, a main frame, a frame member, a pair of axially spaced bearings supported on the frame member, adapted to rotatably support a shaft, mutually engageable means on the main frame and frame member to accurately predeterminedly position the frame member on the main frame, and means to detachably secure the frame member on the main frame in said position.

3. In a vibratory motion producing device of the type comprising a pair of rotatable shafts having mutually intermeshing gears and each supporting a weight at one side of the rotary axis of the shaft and the shaft adapted to be rotatably driven, a generally tubular housing member having opposite annular end portions, a pair of frame members each having an annular peripheral portion fitting the annular end portion of the housing member to relatively predeterminedly position the frame members, means detachably securing the frame members on the housing member in said positions; the frame members'each rotatably supporting a shaft and disposing the gear to intermesh.

4. In a vibratory motion producing device of the type comprising a pair of rotatable shafts having mutually intermeshing gears and each supporting a weight at one side of the rotary axis of the shaft and the shaft adapted to be rotatably driven, a generally tubular housingmember having opposite annular end portions, a pair of generally circular frame members having each an annular peripheral portion fitting an annular end portion of the housing member to relatively predeterminedly position the frame members with their central axes parallel and spaced apart, means detachably securing the frame members on the housing member in said positions, the frame members each rotatably supporting a shaft, and disposing the two shafts parallel and with their respective gears intermeshing.

5. In a vibratory motionproducing device, a

frame member comprising a portion in the form central portion, an arm connected to the shaft and carrying a weight outwardly radially thereof, overlapping by a. portion thereof the frusto-conical disc portion.

6. In a vibratory motion producing device, a main frame, a frame member comprising a portion in the form of a frusto-conical disc and having a tubular central'portion, a shaft supported on bearings in the centralportion, an arm connected to the shaft and carrying a weight outwardly radially thereof, overlapping by a portion thereof the frusto-conical disc portion, and means disposed peripherally of the frusto-conical disc for securing it detachably to the main frame.

7 In a vibratory motion producing device, a generally tubular main frame, a frame member comprising a portion in the form of a frusto-conical disc having peripherally thereof means for securing it to an end of the main frame, and

supporting a weight at one side of the rotary axis of the shaft and'the shaft adapted to be rotatably driven, a tubular main frame open at opposite ends, end members secured to the open end portions, each end member rotatably supporting independently of the tubular frame one of the shafts, and disposing the two gears in intermeshing relation within the tubular frame.

9. In a vibratory motion producing device of the type comprising a pair of rotatable shafts having mutually intermeshing gears and each supporting a weight at one side of the rotary axis of the shaft and the shaft adapted to be rotatr ably driven, a tubular main frame open at opposite end portions, disc-form end members secured to the ends of the frame by peripheral portions thereof and substantially closing the openend portions, each end member rotatably supporting, independently of the tubular main frame, one of the shafts, and the annular end portions of the frame being off-set out of coaxial relation, and

thereby disposing the gears in parallel axial relation to intermesh in the tubular housing.

10. In a vibratory motion producing device, a frame member comprising a portion in the form of a frusto-conlcal disc, a shaft supported on bearing means at the central portion of the disc, an arm connected to the shaft and carrying a weight outwardly radially thereof overlapping by a portion thereof the frusto-conical disc portion.

11. In a vibratory motion producing device, a frame member comprising a portion in the form of a pair of frusto-conical oppositely tapering discs, a shaft supported on bearing means substantially at the central portion of the discs, 8. pair of arms connected to the shaft each carrying a weight outwardly radially thereof and each weight overlapping by a portion thereof a frustoconical disc portion."

12. In a vibratory motion producing device, a main frame, a frame member comprising a portion in the form of a pair of oppositely tapering frusto-conical discs, and having means at the central portion of the discs for supporting a pair of axially spaced bearings, a shaft supported on the bearings, a pair of arms connected to the shaft each carrying a weight outwardly radially thereof each weight overlapping by a portion thereof one of the frusto-conical discs, and means disposed peripherally of the frusto-conical discs WILLIAM T. SHALER. 

